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APT International has 30,000 m² of stock in Belgium and 3,000 machines immediately available.
Haven't found the machinery you where looking for? Contact us

Turninggears, Manipulators, Welding Robots, Weldingdericks & -pinchtables

Second-Hand Welding Machinery and welding robots

How does it work?

Welding may involve a number of tools and positioning accessories. These machines all contribute to joining two workpieces together. Welding typically joins pieces of metal but may apply to thermoplastics as well.

Welding is generally a two-stage process. The first step is to melt a particular location or a line along a weld-seam on the workpieces’ surface. Before the heated material cools and solidifies again, the two pieces are joined under high pressure. This creates a fused seam with a very strong connection. The welding process can also seal small holes in a workpiece; this procedure, in most cases, requires hand welding equipment instead of machines. (Soldering and brazing processes also join pieces of metal, but they employ lower temperatures that do not melt the base metal.)

What are the different types of welding?

For as many millennia as we have been able to produce pieces of metal, we have found means to join them. Archaeologists have uncovered examples of welding in the Bronze Age (3000-1200 BCE). Today there is a rich variety of welding processes to suit myriad applications.

Spot welding uses resistance to join two pieces of metal, applying heat and pressure, but no filler material. Today, industrial spot welders generally send an electrical current through copper electrodes at the welding seam. The current generates heat, and when the material has melted, pressure from the electrodes solidifies the joint.

Spot welding works best on low-carbon and some stainless steels, titanium, and nickel alloys. Car body manufacture is a classic example of spot welding. Arc welding is a fusion welding method (as opposed to resistance); an electric arc travels a short distance between the electrode and the metal’s surface (rather than the electrode applying direct pressure). Arc welding uses a noble gas to protect the welding surface, keeping it free of contaminants.

The types of arc welding fall into two categories: Those that use consumable electrodes, and those that don’t. Perhaps the most common example of the former is Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding. Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding is the most typical of the non-consumable electrode methods. Submerged arc welding is used for very thick-walled workpieces, e.g. large tubes or pipes. During this process, iron oxide powder is applied to the weld seam instead of a protective gas.

What are the components of a welding system?

A welding machine can be a part of a large, stationary assembly if used for industrial production; the machine itself is generally portable and can be used separately. Welding machines vary widely, depending on the intended purpose. Inverters, MIG, and TIG machines are the most common. The choice of welding machine will be determined by the thickness and composition of the workpieces.

What are some of the best manufacturers of welding equipment?

Established and reputable companies producing welding gear include DALEX, ESAB, KIEHNE, MESSER, ROTH, LINCOLN, CERDI, MIGATRONIC, CLOOS, EWE, and WALTER.

What accessories might be useful?

There is a variety of components available to optimize a welding system. We offer not only overhauled welding robots but also welding turning gears, roller blocks, rotators, manipulators, cranes, positioners, and derricks.

Welding turning gears and roller blocks position the workpiece under the welding head. They provide safe, fast, and effective support in the production of storage tanks, pipes of extremely large diameters, as well as oval workpieces, for example.

Manipulators are clamping and turning aids to bring the workpiece to the ideal position.

Clamping machines are suitable for automatic welding of longitudinal seams of flat sheets, rolled tubes, box profiles, and conical products, etc.

Why buy from APT International?

We specialize in buying and selling second-hand industrial production equipment, including a range of welding machines, robots and accessories. We completely overhaul and update every machine, certifying that it is in peak working condition. APT takes care of dismantling, worldwide transport and installation of the machines we sell. We have 30,000 m² of inventory and many other overhauled and second-hand machines: used lathes, used milling machines, used drilling machines, used hydraulic presses, second-hand mechanical presses, bending machines

APT International is among the leading dealers in the industrial machine tool market. Our technical team has unrivaled knowledge, with more than thirty years of experience, and we speak nine different languages. Do you want a custom upgrade or adjustment to a machine? We are happy to assist you.

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